Trend Watch: Bruxie coming to H.B.

Coastline Pilot

Short ribs from Bruxie, which is coming to Huntington Beach in April.

Short ribs from Bruxie, which is coming to Huntington Beach in April. (Coastline Pilot)

Alisha Gomez

The moment I heard that Bruxie would be opening its fifth location in Huntington Beach in April, I let out a squeal. I've only been to the original one in Old Towne Orange, and I love (OK, maybe am semi-obsessed with) its unique waffle sandwiches and other items.

"Since opening our first location just over two years ago, Bruxie has developed a great following from Orange County's beach communities and Huntington Beach, in particular," Managing Partner Dean Simon said in a statement. "We have searched for the perfect location and believe that Bruxie at the Strand is it. Our new 5th Street site is located at Walnut, and is one block north of Main Street and one block east of PCH, making it great for Huntington Beach locals and visitors with plenty of beach access and parking."

The new restaurant will have more than 90 indoor and outdoor seats and will offer the same delicious menu I've come to obsess over, including Bruxie's unique takes on Belgian waffles, salads, old-fashioned cane sugar sodas and real Wisconsin frozen custard, plus shakes, sundaes and floats, according to a news release. Nothing on the menu costs more than $10. Each location also has daily specials.

The last time I was at Bruxie, I went crazy for the Prosciutto & Gruyere sandwich — Prosciutto di Parma and Gruyere cheese with mustard and chives — and the Belgium original, Chocolate Filled Liege with Dark Belgian Chocolate. Both were amazing and I truly enjoyed every bite. I can't wait to visit the new location. The Strand is at 155 5th St. in Huntington Beach.

For more information, visit http://www.bruxie.com. And keep your eye out for more on Bruxie as the restaurant gets closer to opening.

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SOBECA Artwalk on Jan. 29

Artwalks seem to be a trend that shows no sign of stopping.

South on Bristol Entertainment Cultural Arts District, or SOBECA, hosts its Artwalk from 6 to 10 p.m. Jan. 29 at the Camp and the Lab. Events include special deals at retailers, DJ-spun tunes, handcrafted jewelry and collectibles, and of course, art.

I know we're all obsessing over the frigid weather, but escape the winter blues with Rebecca Taylor's latest collections: Resort 2013 and January (pre-spring) 2013, which are now available in stores.

Some personal highlights: From the pre-spring collection, the electric avenue crepe dress ($315). It's like the perfect touch of pop and color for these drab winter days (never thought I'd say SoCal has drab winter days). It's a slim-fitting dress that features "decorative seaming, pleated skirt, little notched cap sleeves and an exposed front zip," according to the product description. That gives the dress some edge and structure.

From the resort collection, the misty garden blouse ($275) screams spring, and the designer paired it with pale baby blue denim to give it an even softer, airy look.

Things heat up with the red-hot crepe strapless dress ($295) from the designer's resort collection and a sequined strapless dress ($575) from the pre-spring collection, both of which are stunning and will make a statement wherever you go.

"The collections were inspired by a modern Hemingway heroine. Easy, versatile pieces in feminine tailored silhouettes ranging in cool tones of blues and creams with pops of neon coral result in a pared-down chic look that awaits her European journey," the designer said in a statement.

From what I can tell, ReMark's by Mark DePalma already has made quite the impact in Laguna.

The restaurant opened in mid-December, and Lagunans are quite pleased with the newest concept from DePalma, who previously ran Mark's in town. The restaurant at 853 Laguna Canyon Road in Laguna Beach offers American fare in a super cool setting from 4:30 to 10:30 p.m. nightly.

I haven't gotten a chance to stop by, but from the looks of some of the photos posted to its Facebook page, I need to. The Veggie Tower looks scrumptious, as does the Caprice Salad and Prime Short Ribs.

There's also a happy hour from 4 to 6 p.m. at the bar. I'm hoping to get there soon, but in the meantime, check it out on your own. More information is at remarkslagunabeach.com, or call (949) 715-8700 for a reservation.

ALISHA GOMEZ is the managing editor of the Coastline Pilot and Huntington Beach Independent newspapers. She can be reached at alisha.gomez@latimes.com or (714) 966-4618.